Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown

Subject: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 06:05 PM

Can anyone out there explain the term "breakdown" as it applies to picking? As in "Foggy Mountain Breakdown?" What differentiates a breakdown from other types of tunes?

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: Jeri
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 07:44 PM

My understanding, and I could have it wrong because it's just what I've "heard," is that a breakdown is in 4/4 (a reel) and is played quite fast. I think the term "breakdown" has to do with the speed of the tune. The musicians also turns on the lead, with each improvising a bit.

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: Amos
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 08:23 PM

Until they break down with bleeding fingers....

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: Gary T
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 10:36 PM

Well, while we're at it, how does a breakdown differ from a hoedown?

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 10:47 PM

Well, Gary, my understanding is that a hoedown refers to an event, like a barn dance, when you literally and/or figuratively put your hoe down for some r & r. A breakdown, I believe, refers to a particular style of tune. And thanks, Jeri. That sounds about right.

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 10:48 PM

BREAKDOWN: Any tune played on banjo so blindingly fast as to be unrecognizable. The tune finishes when the lugs loosen, the head pops, the neck snaps, the tailpiece knocks the player even more senseless than before, and the fifth peg richochets off of a Martin D-28 and lodges up the player's ass, as the banjo disintegrates and everyone applauds it's destruction.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: Bert
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 06:17 AM

LOL Spaw, now what's a hoedown?

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 09:45 AM

a fallen prostitute, Bert

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: IanC
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 09:59 AM

From English tradition, a breakdown is a set of hornpipe tunes. Probably the best known is "The Boscastle Breakdown".

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 10:38 AM

SONG CHALLENGE! Write Foggy Mental Breakdown, somebody!

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 11:14 AM

HOEDOWN: A dance of sorts, often held in a barn or other rustic setting (a place involving the best of rotting wood, hay, straw, dirt, and a requisite amount of manure). People gather wearing their finest string ties, poofy skirts, and checkered shirts and blouses with faux pearl buttons. A smorgasboard of food is layed out consisting of overcooked vegetable dishes and tooth rotting pies. An animal is burned beyond recognition while being slathered with a sauce so the original flavor of the meat is completely gone and now cannot be distinguished from a honey and ketchup covered guitar strap. The band cranks out some dance tunes and people stomp around the floor while someone yells out confusing directions using words unknown in any language. After each dance the band and the dancers refresh themselves with spirits often distilled deep in the woods through a Peterbilt radiator. By the end of the evening the music and dancing is frantically paced until the entire group falls into a drunken stupor and drive home in their pick-ups, endangering all those sane enough not to have attended.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Foggy Mental Breakdown
From: Cappuccino
Date: 22 Sep 01 - 05:00 AM

Spaw, I didn't know you'd been here and played the same West Oxfordshire country dances as I have!

One slight cross-cultural translation problem, however - what's 'poofy skirts'? In British English, 'poof' means 'gay', therefore 'poofy skirts' would be .... well, it suggests a sort of barndance equivalent of the Village People.

The mind boggles.

- IanB